– May 23, 2015 – Oakland, CA – Whole Foods Market's Oakland store located at 230 Bay Place is voluntarily recalling Jivara Lactee Milk Chocolate Valrhona cut and wrap pieces due to undeclared hazelnuts on the product label. People who have an allergy or sensitivity to hazelnuts run the risk of serious or life threatening allergic reaction if they consume the product.
The recalled product came in pieces wrapped in clear plastic wrap. The recall includes all Jivara Lactee Milk Chocolate Valrhona cut and wrap pieces packed on dates prior to May 19th 2015. This product's UPC code is 250344025508.
This recall only applies to Whole Foods Market's Oakland store. One mild reaction has been reported to-date. Customers who have purchased this product should discard it and may bring in their receipt for a full refund.
Consumers with questions may contact Whole Foods Market's Oakland store at 510-834-9800 from 8:00 am – 10:00 PM
A Sky customer has landed a £1,500 pay-out after sending them a bill for the time he spent trying to close his account.
Pete Swift, 30, faced several frustrated months with debt collectors after the company failed to cancel his TV and broadband when he moved house.
After nearly 18 months of being threatened, Pete decided to take legal action, first contacting the Citizens Advice Bureau and then the Ombudsman.
Once Sky finally admitted their failings, he counted up the hours he had spent speaking to those involved via phone and email, as well as meetings with lawyers.
Producing an itemised list of his hours at a rate of £25 per hour, Pete billed Sky for £1,395, plus court costs of around £72.
The company eventually offered Pete payment of £1,500 -- two years and a half after the dispute began.
Pete, who works as a research consultant, said: "It was exceptionally frustrating being contacted again and again by debt collectors.
"I grew increasingly infuriated with Sky's inability to correct their error or act upon the information I'd provided.
"The customer service I experienced was abysmal, there was just a complete disregard for the situation they had put me in and a continued failure to take ownership and fix the problem."
Pete moved house to Leith, Edinburgh in October 2012 and as a result tried to cancel his broadband and TV package with Sky.
But a few months later he was contacted by a debt collection service.
In control: Pete Swift turned the tables on Sky
He showed them proof he had paid his final bill to Sky and told them to pass the information over.
Two months later, Pete was contacted by another debt collector and he went through the same process again.
He also made a complaint to Sky.
But in April 2014 he was contacted by a third debt collection agency who told him he had outstanding debts with Sky.
Since the saga began, Pete had been failing credit checks and he was worried his credit had been damaged.
For two months he was passed from one person to another at Sky customer services with no solution in sight, until he decided to contact the Ombudsman.
Pete said: "I had started failing credit checks, despite previously having a good credit history and started stressing out about my ability to obtain credit.
"I felt very powerless as a consumer to fix the situation - and I couldn't even ascertain what damage had been done to my credit file."
After mediation through the Ombudsman, Pete rejected the offer given to him by Sky.
He said: "The main reason was that I was concerned about damage to my credit file.
"They said they would ask Sky to correct any negative impact they had made.
"But when I asked about rectifying any damage caused by the third party debt collectors Sky had employed, they said they could not enforce corrections from them as they were not under their jurisdiction.
"The money was also an issue though, they would only request for Sky to pay me £60 as a gesture of goodwill.
"I told them that this sum was not proportionate to the hassle and frustrations I had experienced as a result of their error and was therefore not appropriate compensation."
Battle: Sky have apologised to Pete Swift and given him the goodwill payment
Pete then took Sky to court and last month they finally came to an agreement, two days before his court date.
He said: "I did send the full itemised bill with timings to Sky along with a formal invoice - charged at £25 per hour.
"When Sky finally agreed to cover the full settlement I had mixed emotions.
"On one hand I was really pleased to have the £1,500 and some form of resolution, but I was still very resentful of the lengths I'd had to go to and the way Sky had dealt with the situation.
"Sky had contacted me the week before to try and talk me down to a lower sum of £500.
"The whole time I was dealing with them it just felt like I was being fobbed off with the bare minimum they could get away with.
"There was never really an acknowledgement that something was wrong procedurally that needed to be addressed, it just felt like a case of lets pay off the complaining customer so he shuts up.
"As a single customer you often feel like there's nothing you can do, especially when you are engaged in a dispute with a large transnational company.
"That's why I would encourage people that had suffered a similar problem to follow it through until they receive a proportionate resolution.
"Everyone I have spoken with was really supportive and seemed delighted with the outcome, I guess a lot of people have been subject to really poor service at some point or other.
"So I was glad I pursued the matter."
Pete's bill included 31 hours and 25 minutes speaking to Sky either on phone or by email, with a further six hours dealing with Mackenzie Hall debt collectors.
Sky said the issue was due to a technical fault with their systems, meaning his cancellation was not recorded on his file.
A spokeswoman said: "Our staff work hard to deliver great service. However, in Mr Swift's case we got it wrong, and didn't resolve things quickly enough.
"We are really sorry and have apologised, offering a gesture of goodwill in recognition of the frustration he has experienced."
Wescot (debt collection agency) -- 3 hours
Mackenzie Hall (debt collection agency) -- 6 hours
Sky - 31 hours 25 mins
Equifax (credit reporting agency) -- 5 hours 20 mins
Experian (credit reporting agency) -- 1 hour 30 mins
More than half a million people had pre-payment gas and electricity meters installed in their homes under court warrant in the past six years.
Last year almost 100,000 homes were fitted with the meters as Britons struggled with soaring .
In 2009 just 63,000 homes received the devices, whose users often have to pay far more than customers who can pay by direct debit.
The meters are installed as an alternative to cutting off customers who are unable to pay their bills.
Single mother Kaylee Abbott, who had £1,400 fuel bill debts, said: “At first with the meter I was relieved I’d be paying my debt off.”
Pre-pay court orders
63,000
2009
100,000
2014
But Kaylee, of Stokesley, N. Yorks, added: “I’m worried about how much money I’ll have to put on a week.
"I’m also worried about running out of fuel.
" wanted around £200 a month from me. I offered to pay back £40 a week but they didn’t accept it. I receive around £500 a month in benefits in total.
“I need electricity for Lydia to watch telly and then gas to cook and to eat and to keep us warm.
"It’s a nightmare. I just want it paid off so I’m better off and when I’m topping it it’s all mine and I’m not running out as quick.”
British Gas credit and collection director Brian Jackson said: “When we go through a warrant process, as we did with Kaylee, it’s after we’ve exhausted all other avenues.”
Probe launched: Ofgem is investigating
Ofgem said after the BBC’s 5 Live Breakfast programme obtained the figures that installing the meters under warrant “should only be used as a last resort”.
has now begun an investigation and says that the practice should only be used as a last resort.
Chief Executive of the Citizen’s Advice Burea, Gillian Guy, said: “Prepay customers have been getting a raw deal for too long."
“We do a huge amount for customers on pay as you go meters.
A DECC spokesperson said: “Energy suppliers need to do all they can to support their customers who are most vulnerable.
“We want to understand the reasons behind this increase so look forward to any future insight Ofgem can offer.”
Moving from a direct debit bill to a pre-payment meter can set dual fuel customers back an extra £42 per bill, according to a March Ofgem report.
But the report added any change to the system would have both "winners and losers among the fuel poor".
Mirror readers have written in about their own problems with pre-payment meters.
John Lipnicki from London said after he became unemployed he struggled to pay his bills and the energy company put him on a pre-pay meter: "This means paying in advance, which again made it very difficult. Often I was left without gas for cooking.
"I paid off the gas debt, and even got a refund for 'over charging.' Electricity also was paid off, again with an apology for over-charging. I fear the same thing happening and not being able to live on the reduced income."
Gemma Frankson from Southend on Sea said: "Insecure work means I go on and off Jobseeker's Allowance. For this reason we don't have gas or electric meters. We just don't pay the bills when they come, or call the companies and pay a little off. I just hope that my next job isn't too far off so I can avoid them coming to fit a meter by force."
And Karen Williams from London said: "I had my gas cut off six years ago. My electricity is a pre-payment meter which often runs out before I get paid. I go days every month with no light,heat or hot food."
Summer is on its way, and it’s time to stash away those cold weather woollies.
If your summer wardrobe is looking a little lacking, check out these easy ways to hack what you already have into clothes for the warmer days.
- Let's help you rip your -
— Klip (@kliptalk)
The most popular summer clothing hack has to be jeans to shorts (or jorts…), and this can be accomplished just with a pair of scissors! And the bonus is that this is a great way to re-purpose jeans with holes in the knees.
Cut them to the length you want, and either leave them to fray, roll them up, or hem them with hemming tape.
If you want something a little different, , or even .
And another alternative is to turn your old jeans into a new skirt-you can even go or .
Wonderful DIY Stylish Denim Skirt From Old Jeans | ,Making a skirt from jeans is incredibly
— Lina Kapranos (@una_tal_Wualu)
T-shirts are very forgiving garments to hack, as the edges don’t fray when you cut them.
Arm yourself with a pair of scissors and , shorten or completely remove the sleeves or change the length. If you stretch the cut edge, the fabric will curl over and create a neat “this is meant to look like this” edge.
For more involved hacks, you can make this , or this .
You won't believe how easy it is to make the Necklace T-shirt.
— Anne Hollabaugh (@WobiSobi)
And jumpers that you’re bored of, or that are maybe have shunk a little in the wash, can be easily turned into , or .
Tie dye is back (apparently!) and is a great way to refresh some of your tired-looking t-shirts or even trousers. It’s also a sneaky way to cover up any stains.
There are for how to achieve the look.
Another way to use dye is to dip dye and . This takes a little more time, but the finished effect is worth it.
This ombre fringe shirt is definitely fashionable and perfect for a swim suit cover up or a music festival! >>
— Paige Nicole (@creatingandco)
Dyeing with bleach is also a ‘thing’. , and use a rubber tipped pencil to add polka dots, or you can buy special pens to draw your own design.
With a little bit of time and effort, you could upcycle yourself a whole new summer wardrobe, from your existing clothes, for very little money.
Here’s hoping for some sun!
Jen Gale is a money saving blogger. She wrote about her year of buying nothing new in and continues to blog at .
I buy a lot of clothes from charity shops. I notice there’s a button missing, a slight tear or a ripped seam. I often wonder if people have donated them simply because they don’t know how to fix them.
I’m a self-taught seamstress - I learnt everything from YouTube and online tutorials. If you want to alter or mend your own clothes, here's a really easy tutorial to get you started.
Thread, needle, scissors and a button.
You will find the spare button sewn to the laundry advice label. Cut this off.
Cut 30cm of thread and thread the needle with a double thickness of thread. Tie a knot in the end.
Look on the shirt of item of clothing for a mark where the button was (there's usually a bit of thread). Turn the fabric over so you can see the back of this thread.
Push the needle through here, and pull through until the knot stops you sewing any further.
Hold the button in place and push the needle through one of the holes. Then push it back through the diagonal hole. Your needle will now be at the back of the shirt. Push it through again, coming out of one of the other holes and again, push the needle back through the diagonal hole.
There will usually be a bit of thread remaining from where the button was. Turn the fabric over so you can see the back of this thread.
Repeat with each diagonal for three stitches.
Knot the thread on the back of the fabric.
You now have a mended garment with a securely attached button.
The Bank Holiday weekend can mean only one thing - time to roll up those sleeves for a spot of DIY.
And we’ve nailed the bargains to save you the agony of trawling around the stores to stock up on your odd-job and decorating needs.
Whether you want to spruce up the walls, blitz the bathroom or are just looking for some window dressing, we’ve got the whole house covered from floors to ceilings.
We’ve found almost £20 off tubs of paint, curtains and designer wall paper for half price and cut price flooring to suit all tastes and budgets.
And if you haven’t got the right kit, we’ve even tracked down offers on tools from drills and screwdrivers to saws and sanders.
Almost two thirds of people are planning – or in the middle of – DIY projects this summer with the Bank holiday and sunshine seeing people start work on their homes.
And more of us are getting in touch with our inner renovator, with figures from Lloyds showing DIY spending is at a six-year high.
The problem is that half of them will end up costing them a lot more than they plan and they'll be left paying the bill.
“The Bank Holiday is primetime for getting stuck into jobs around the home you’ve been putting off. Unfortunately, you can end up causing more damage than good, especially if you’re inexperienced,” said Martyn Dyson from Nationwide.
Research from Nationwide showed most people have botched a DIY job at some point and 90% end up paying to correct the damage themselves – frequently unnecessarily.
Nothing can possibly go wrong here
The internet isn't helping. While in the past people turned to manuals, these days we hit YouTube for help – with figures from Towergate Insurance showing it's now the nation's most popular place to get DIY help with.
And they're not all small projects. Flooring (31% of DIY projects) bathroom refitting (17%), house extensions (11%), roofing (10%) and electrical or plumbing work (9%) are all on the list of things people are trying out.
But getting it wrong is an expensive mistake. Nearly £2,500 is spent on average fixing DIY disasters.
“With the emergence of YouTube as a key educational resource, it’s understandable that people are naturally turning to video tutorials for guidance on DIY work. However, as our research shows, undertaking ambitious projects with little to no formal training can have serious repercussions financially,” said Towergate Insurance's Drew Wotherspoon.
Who needs a manual!
The big advice here is to start with the paperwork.
“If you do choose to roll up your sleeves this bank holiday weekend it’s a good idea to check with your insurance provider first to make sure you’re not in for an expensive surprise,” said Nationwide's Dyson.
“The dawn of price comparison sites means that many ‘standard’ home insurance policies don’t automatically include cover for accidental damage, so if you’re planning anything ambitious with your tool box, make sure that you’ve specifically selected accidental damage when purchasing your policy.”
Please join us to celebrate KFA's 10th anniversary at in Germantown, Maryland, on Saturday, May 30, 2015 from 1:00 to 2:30 PM.
We will honor KFA’s founder, Lynda Mitchell, and unveil a special glass-tile mosaic created by talented young student artists and kids living with food allergies to commemorate KFA's outstanding past, and its future work with AAFA.
“Food Allergies Rock” musician Kyle Dine will entertain us – children are welcome!
The event is FREE! To R.S.V.P., please call our office at 215-230-5394, or email Michele Cassalia, our Corporate Relations Director, at .
In April, I took the for children’s charity Unicef, with only a fiver to spend on food for 5 days.
The campaign is designed to raise funds and awareness about global poverty, but it also redesigned my shopping list.
I had already cut our family food bills down to under £3 each a day, but feeding myself on just £1 a day was tough.
I like food and love cooking, so chose to buy raw ingredients and cook from scratch, rather than relying on low-cost processed food.
Here are the 5 top tips I learnt from shopping on a tiny budget:
Faith's £5 haul
Supermarket value ranges are the best bet for getting more food for your money, whether it’s , , , or .
You can buy staples like a loaf of bread for 40p to 45p, a bag of rice for 40p and baked beans for 24p.
The only problem is that you might get a bad back from stretching down to reach the bottom shelves.
Research, research, research
Even within the value ranges, prices can vary.
I used to add items to my basket, then clicked on “switch & save” to see if I could buy things for less elsewhere.
also includes info on , which doesn’t put all its prices on its website, unlike the other big supermarkets.
Don’t assume that a single shop will be cheapest for everything. I bought a lot from Morrisons because it’s my nearest supermarket and good value, but I know that stock cubes are much cheaper in Sainsbury’s (25p for 10 from but 75p for 12 at ), so I stocked up when I was nearby.
Kidney beans - cheap and tasty
With a tiny budget, I couldn’t afford to make mistakes or I’d go hungry.
I wrote and rewrote meal plans and shopping lists to cut costs. I focused on foods that would fill me up, like wholemeal bread, oats and rice.
I also opted for vegetarian food like eggs and kidney beans because meat cost too much.
With money so tight, my meals were repetitive. Breakfast was something with porridge, lunch was soup or eggs with bread, and dinner was something with rice. I carved out enough for a 27p jar of marmalade so I could eat toast and marmalade every day.
Freeze to stay fresh
Despite the planning, be ready to adapt if you find any yellow-stickered bargains.
I expected to spend 45p on a pint of milk, but found a short-dated bottle in the Co-op for only 25p.
The extra savings from reductions on a tin of tomatoes, a small loaf and a box of eggs were small, but meant I could squeeze a 45p tub of yogurt onto my list.
However, check whether food on the reduced section still costs more than other brands at full price.
Also, it’s a waste of money buying short-dated food that goes off before you eat it. I’m lucky enough to have a freezer, . I ended up freezing milk in an ice cube tray so I could get out a bit at a time before it went sour.
It's worth the weight
When counting the pennies, always check the price per kilo rather than the pack price. Shrink-wrapped vegetables on a plastic tray may look pretty, but the same quantity may well cost less from the loose display.
I searched for the cheapest fruit and vegetables per kilo, and selected the smallest single banana, onion and carrot. I also bought a little piece of root ginger, so I could add flavour for 3p rather than spending 30p on a lemon or bulb of garlic.
Luckily my local supermarket had scales in the veg section, so I could check the weight and work out the cost before reaching the till.
Similarly, if you can’t afford a whole pack of ham or cheese, ask the deli counter to cut you a small amount.
If you have more cash, buying bags with bigger quantities can be cheaper per kilo.
For example, , currently 59p a pack, tend to be great value.
Also, if piles of fresh fruit and veg are too pricey, consider tinned and frozen options. I spent 27p on a tin of pineapple and 89p on a kilo of frozen mixed vegetables.
What was left after a week
Total: £4.97, leaving 3p to account for small amounts of salt, pepper, chilli and cumin from my storecupboard.
You can find out more about and .
Faith Archer is an award-winning money journalist, who also writes the blog about moving to the country, living with less and making the most of it. She is still fundraising for Unicef - .
More than two million children could be at risk of hunger and cold because of the stranglehold on children’s benefits, campaigners have revealed.
The Government has frozen and then capped any increase in child benefit, while making similar changes to working tax credit.
What parents are cutting down on
End Child Poverty
When End Child Poverty asked 1,000 parents how they had reacted, one in five said they had cut back on food and a similar proportion had turned off the heating.
This is equivalent to one and a half million parents across the UK, with two and a half million children.
One in three parents also said they’d dropped family trips or outings.
The poorest families are cutting down the most
End Child Poverty, families on £15,000 a year or less
End Child Poverty chair David Holmes said: “It is deeply worrying that parents are having to cut back on food, heating and other essentials that their children need in order to develop and thrive.”
The Government froze child benefit in 2010, and then in 2012 capped any increase over the next three years at 1% - regardless of how fast other prices rose.
It decided on a similar cap for working tax credits.
Working families on low incomes got poorer 2015
£513.35
less in benefits
End Child Poverty, based on two working parents earning £600 a week with two children
The Government says it has helped working families by increasing the amount we can earn before we are taxed.
But End Child Poverty argues this does not help the poorest families, because they never earn enough to benefit anyway.
And because most means-tested benefits are paid on earnings after tax, families that do benefit appear richer - so they lose out on benefits.
In fact, End Child Poverty estimates these families will only keep 15% of any gain from the tax-free allowance because of what they miss out on in benefits.
Plan, plan, plan
We’re unlikely to see meaningful increases in benefits any time soon. So if you haven’t already done so, start budgeting.
Check if there are any big changes you can make, .
It’s easy to get ripped off after a good deal expires. Check out our guides on switching and providers. Or use a comparison website like . If you have a mortgage, .
We’ve got - but we know that isn’t always an option. in the money leagues and think about whether you could make a similar change. We've also got .
You may be able to get help with , mortgage interest payments or local council grants. Try calling the benefits charity for independent advice.
Check out our guide on how to cut your supermarket bill in half, . There’s more tricks . And try shopping frozen - .
You can . Check out while renting. This man has lived on the tightest of budgets - . And if you can't switch, .
This FDA Consumer Update sheds further light on the results of an FDA study on milk in dark chocolate . For more detail, .
Examples of messages found on some dark chocolate products.
If you’re allergic to milk and you love dark chocolate, how do you know whether you can indulge in a candy bar without having an allergic reaction? That’s what the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) wanted to learn, especially after receiving reports that consumers had harmful reactions after eating dark chocolate.
Milk is a permitted ingredient in dark chocolate, but it is also one of eight major food allergens (substances that can cause reactions that are sometimes dangerous). U.S. law requires manufacturers to label food products that are major allergens, as well as food products that contain major allergenic ingredients or proteins. Allergens contained in a food product but not named on the label are a leading cause of FDA requests for food recalls, and undeclared milk is the most frequently cited allergen. Chocolates are one of the most common sources of undeclared milk associated with consumer reactions.
FDA tested nearly 100 dark chocolate bars for the presence of milk. Earlier this year, the agency issued preliminary findings, and is now releasing more information about its research. The bars tested by FDA were obtained from different parts of the U.S., and each bar was unique in terms of product line and/or manufacturer. Bars were divided into categories based on the statements on the labels.
The bottom line? Unfortunately, you can’t always tell if dark chocolate contains milk by reading the ingredients list. FDA researchers found that of 94 dark chocolate bars tested, only six listed milk as an ingredient. When testing the remaining 88 bars that did not list milk as an ingredient, FDA found that 51 of them actually did contain milk. In fact, the FDA study found milk in 61 percent of all bars tested.
In part, that’s because milk can get into a dark chocolate product even when it is not added as an ingredient. Most dark chocolate is produced on equipment that is also used to produce milk chocolate. In these cases, it is possible that traces of milk may inadvertently wind up in the dark chocolate.
Read ‘May’ as ‘Likely’
To inform consumers that dark chocolate products may contain milk even if not intentionally added, many chocolate manufacturers print “advisory” messages on the label. There’s quite a variety of advisory messages, such as:
FDA found that milk was present in 3 out of every 4 dark chocolate products with one of these advisory statements. Some products had milk levels as high as those found in products that declared the presence of milk.
When the National Confectioners Association (NCA) was asked for its advice, a spokesperson said that “consumers with milk allergies should not consume dark chocolate products that come with advisory statements, since these products may indeed contain milk proteins.”
Another problem is that advisory messages may appear to be conflicting if they are accompanied by dairy-free or vegan statements. “Even a consumer who carefully reads the label may be confused by a statement such as “vegan” (which implies that no animal-derived products were used) along with an advisory—or “may contain” statement—referring to the presence of milk,” says Stefano Luccioli, M.D., a senior medical advisor at FDA.
Not Quite ‘Dairy Free’
In addition to these advisory statements, labels for chocolate bars may make other claims. Some say “dairy-free” or “lactose free,” but FDA found milk in 15% of the dark chocolates with this label. And 25% of dark chocolate products labeled only “vegan” were found to contain milk.
No Message Doesn’t Mean No Milk
You shouldn’t assume that dark chocolate contains no milk if the label does not mention it at all. “Milk-allergic consumers should be aware that 33% of the dark chocolates with no mention of milk anywhere on the label were, in fact, found to contain milk,” says Luccioli.
What Consumers Can Do
“The chocolate industry will continue to make every effort to understand the needs of allergic consumers and communicate the potential presence of milk allergens in dark chocolate through advisory labeling,” says Laura Shumow, director of scientific and regulatory affairs at NCA.
FDA is evaluating the study findings and considering options for addressing the issues identified in the study. Further, allergen contamination is included in the preventive and risk-based controls mandated by the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Under the proposed Preventive Controls for Human Food rule that is scheduled to become final this fall, food manufacturers would be required to implement a food safety plan that identifies safeguards in place to prevent or significantly reduce such hazards as food allergens.
The proposed rule includes provisions to prevent unintended cross-contact between foods that contain allergens and those not intended to contain them. Firms covered by the final rule would have from one to three years after the rule becomes final to comply, depending on the size of the firm.
Milk Detected in Individual Dark Chocolate Products
This article appears on , which features the latest on all FDA-regulated products.
May 17-23 marks National Eosinophil Awareness week, and to mark the occasion Kids With Food Allergies introduces guest blogger Elizabeth DiBurro of . She shares recipes and tips on parenting with multiple food allergies and EoE. Her son was diagnosed with (EoE) in 2012 after symptoms of difficulty swallowing, which later progressed to a temporary inability to swallow solid foods. She cooks all of his meals at home (with the help of her husband) and chooses not to eat out at restaurants with her son due to the amount and severity of his allergies. Today, she will share one of her family’s favorite snack recipes, Super Awesome Granola Bars, which are packed with protein and free of the top 8 allergens and gluten.
One of my goals when my son was first diagnosed with EoE was to add protein to his diet. I needed to find a food that he wanted to eat that was free of the top 8 allergens, which is how I came up with this super yummy granola bar recipe. Seriously, you won’t be disappointed with this one.
I frequently change up the ingredients. I’ve tried dried apricot and coconut, dried apple and raisins, and dried cherries and chocolate.
Here is my favorite: raisin (golden and regular), dried cranberry, and chocolate. I’ve also used the molasses mixture to drizzle on top of salted freshly popped popcorn and chocolate for an amazing salty sweet snack!
Ingredients:
6 cups gluten-free oats ¼ cup chia seeds ½ cup cooking oil 1 tsp salt 1 cup brown sugar ½ cup honey ½ cup apple juice ¼ cup molasses 3 tsp vanilla extract 1 ½ cup gluten-free crispy rice cereal or puffed brown rice 1 scoop of brown rice protein powder 1 cup raisins ½ cup dried cranberries ½ cup sunflower seeds ¼ cup allergy-friendly chocolate chips
Directions:
1. In a large bowl mix oats, chia seeds, oil and salt. Pour mixture onto two foil covered sheet pans and bake on 350 for 20 minutes, stirring twice. Remove from heat, put aside and lower oven temp to 325.
2. In a medium size saucepan add brown sugar, honey, apple juice, and molasses over medium heat until bubbles start to form. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
3. In the large mixing bowl stir together oat mixture, molasses mixture and the remaining ingredients (except the chocolate chips) until well blended.
4. Pour mixture into a large parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Using another sheet of parchment paper, press the mixture into pan.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes and remove from oven. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the granola bars and using parchment paper carefully press the chips into the bars (I sometimes use the bottom of a meas
6. Allow to cool completely (and keep the parchment paper on for easy moving) before attempting to remove from the pan. Slice into individual size servings and enjoy.
The hardest part of this entire recipe is not eating too many granola bars in one sitting. Everyone who tries them loves them and they don’t even realize they’re free of the top 8 allergens! They’re perfect for a grab-n-go snack, to pack in a lunchbox, or even a last-minute breakfast item.
Elizabeth DiBurro has been blogging about food allergies and EoE for over four years. Her son is allergic to peanut, tree nut, dairy, egg, garlic, and recently outgrew a soy allergy. After her son experienced two anaphylactic reactions to dairy and was diagnosed with EoE, cooking delicious, safe food and raising anaphylaxis and EoE awareness became very important to her. She shares recipes, product information, helpful tips, and personal stories at , , and .
— May 19, 2015 — Brooklyn, NY — A&S FOOD TRADING INC at 4425B 1ST AVE, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK 11232 is recalling because it contains undeclared sulfites. People who have severe sensitivity to sulfites run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reactions if they consume this product.
The recalled is sold in a 250G un-coded, clear plastic package and was distributed in New York State. It is a product of China.
The recall was initiated after routine sampling by New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Food Inspectors and subsequent analysis of the product by Food Laboratory personnel revealed the presence of sulfites in packages of which did not declare sulfites on the label. The consumption of 10 milligrams of sulfites per serving has been reported to elicit severe reactions in some asthmatics.
Anaphylactic shock could occur in certain sulfite sensitive individuals upon ingesting 10 milligrams or more of sulfites. Analysis of HUA ZHI YING GOURD CANDY revealed it contains 33.22mg per serving.
No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem. Consumers who have purchased should return it to the place of purchase. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 718-369-2648.
A , a £20,000 bill – the stories of shock bills when people use their phones overseas are remarkably common.
The frightening thing is that it's not just overseas where you can be slapped by roaming charges – it can happen to you in the UK as well.
In fact, there are several places where using data on your phone means hefty charges that you can travel to without leaving the country.
“The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man have their own mobile networks, which means visitors from the UK mainland will be vulnerable to roaming charges if they use their phones there,” Ernest Doku, telecoms expert at , told The Mirror.
“You can’t blame people for thinking the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are covered by mainland UK networks. There’s a lot of expectation on consumers to know the rules when it comes to roaming - and these can be really confusing.”
Dover danger for phone users
Then there's “inadvertent roaming”.
That's where your phone picks up a foreign network without you ever leaving the country.
“Some mobile customers in Northern Ireland who live near the Irish border have been hit with bigger bills due to so called ‘inadvertent roaming’,” Doku added. “Their mobile connects to a mast in the Republic of Ireland and so they are charged roaming rates.”
Worryingly, this isn't just a problem in Northern Ireland. There have also been cases reported in Dover and on the south coast of England where .
"Where's the 'I'm in the UK' setting again?"
To protect against this, especially in the UK, the best advice is to ensure you're signed in to your own network.
Typically, this won't change unless you lose signal entirely or turn your phone off or on. If you sign in to a non-standard network you're generally sent a text message by the new provider – so watch for these and make sure you pay attention to them.
If you find yourself signed in to an overseas network, try turning aeroplane mode off and on again to see if you can re-connect to your home network.
If that doesn't work, you should be able to manually select your own provider from the “network settings” in your phone's menu.
Of course, if you're in an area not covered by your home network, your best option is to act as though you're abroad.
There's some good news here – firstly, the amount you can be charged for roaming in the EU is capped. – just not yet.
Soon you'll pay the same for Trois as Three
“Unfortunately, the EU has just voted to delay scrapping these charges,” Doku told The Mirror.
Mobile data spend is also capped by by UK networks to protect, but that still leaves people losing out. In the past year, one Brit in five has come home from an EU holiday to find their bills an average of £61 higher than they expected, uSwitch figures show.
To cut the cost overseas, you are recommended to turn off mobile data on your phone, and possibly contact your provider to switch off data roaming entirely.
— May 19, 2015 — Brooklyn, NY — A&S FOOD TRADING INC at 4425B 1ST AVE, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK 11232 is recalling because it contains undeclared sulfites. People who have severe sensitivity to sulfites run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reactions if they consume this product.
The recalled is sold in a 250G un-coded, clear plastic package and was distributed in New York State. It is a product of China.
The recall was initiated after routine sampling by New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Food Inspectors and subsequent analysis of the product by Food Laboratory personnel revealed the presence of sulfites in packages of which did not declare sulfites on the label. The consumption of 10 milligrams of sulfites per serving has been reported to elicit severe reactions in some asthmatics.
Anaphylactic shock could occur in certain sulfite sensitive individuals upon ingesting 10 milligrams or more of sulfites. Analysis of HUA ZHI YING GOURD CANDY revealed it contains 33.22mg per serving.
No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem. Consumers who have purchased should return it to the place of purchase. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 718-369-2648.
Some Brits have been able to . The change has opened up the choices for retirees - meaning they no longer have to rely on taking out an annuity.
But the more flexible rules have left many confused, according to investment and pension provider Fidelity.
Over the previous weeks, it has received calls from everyone from 23 year-olds who want to cash in their pension to worried retirees.
Many customers also called to take out cash - and three in four of those callers wanted to pull out their cash altogether.
We look at the main questions callers had and explain what you can and can't do under the new pension freedoms.
Yes - , that is. . Sorry, twentysomethings, but YOUR savings stay locked up till the 2040s.
Hang on a sec. You can take out 25% of your pension tax-free, but the rest is taxed like income.
Many of Fidelity’s callers weren’t aware of this, and there’s And if you're thinking of buy to let, .
A handful of callers thought they had to get their hands on their pension before 6 April, or lose it. That’s completely wrong.
You don’t have to make a decision about your pension right away - in fact, it’s better if you take time to think carefully and research all your options on the Government’s guidance website, .
mean that anyone in the right age bracket can now make at least 6.25% on their savings in a year – without any terms, conditions, lock ins or risks.
In fact, some people will be able to make far more than that, with a fair few able to make 17% on their money.
How? Well it's got to do with pensions.
The lid's off
In April . Essentially the message was “it's your money, so you can do what you like with it once you're over 55”.
So rather than complexities involving lump sums, drawdowns, annuities and the like – you could take out as much money as you liked whenever you liked.
But there's an important difference between pensions and standard savings accounts – tax.
The idea of a private or workplace pension is simple, you or your employer pay money into it while you work and then you live off it (and the state pension) when you retire.
But it would be unfair to pay tax when you earn the money and then again when you take it out of your pension to live off, so – to prevent that – any money you pay into a pension gets the tax you paid added back on it (either 20% or 40%).
Your tax-free portion
When you combine the tax boost to pension savings with a second change that came in last month, it turns into a guaranteed return for anyone still in work after the age of 54.
Because there was a second change announced this April too. In the past there were serious limits on what you could do with your pension savings.
So, to give people a boost at retirement, rules were written that you could cash in 25% of your savings tax free after the age of 55.
But under the new rules – where you can do what you like, when you like, with your money – that didn't make sense. So instead, the government said you'd not get taxed on 25% of EACH withdrawal you make instead.
And that's where the opportunity lies.
Stack those pounds
So, to put it simply, you put £1000 into your pension, get the 20% tax you've paid on that back, then take it out a year later.
You'll be taxed on it again at this point – but only after the 25% tax-free allowance is accounted for.
Which means, for the £1,000 you put in, you get £1,062.50 back – a gain of 6.25%.
Better, you're not risking the money in any way – you can just park it as cash in a self-invested pension.
If you're a higher-rate taxpayer you get an even better deal – ending up with £1,166.67 – a 16.7% return.
The pension savings loophole - Basic rate tax
£1,000
You save
£1,062.50
You get
6.25%
Interest rate
You can add up to £40,000 a year to a pension and still get tax relief. In fact, you can get tax relief even if you don't pay any tax – although only on £2,880 a year. On the plus side, assuming you continue to pay no tax after you retire, that way you effectively get a 25% boost to your money.
The pension savings loophole - Higher rate tax
£1,000
You save
£1,166.67
You get
16.7%
Interest rate
Several. Firstly, pension funds come with charges and restrictions.
To take advantage of this loophole you'll have to find a pension that lets you take the cash out and charges you as little as possible for parking money in it as cash.
Self-invested personal pensions look like your best bet here.
, and are good examples of providers offering low-cost SIPPs you could use. Which is cheapest depends on how much you're able to save.
But be careful with the T&Cs or the charges could quickly eclipse any gains you make from the tax loophole.
The second is that the money you take out – all of it – counts as income rather than savings. That means it could push you into a higher rate of income tax overall.
You can get round this by taking money out over a few years rather than all at once – however that could increase the charges you pay for holding the money in a pension while reducing the effective 'annual interest' you get in return, as you only benefit once from this trick no matter how long the money's put away.
And in exceptional circumstances, you could even lose a bit of money. How? Well if you're semi-retired at the moment, but have a big enough pension built up, you could end up getting basic-rate tax relief on the money you pay in, but being stung by higher rate tax when you take the money out.
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